Tray assembly



Feb. 17, 1959 E. G. JENSEN 2,873,8fi1

TRAY ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 29, 1956 Uni d tat s Pat nt "ice.

2,873,861 4 TRAY ASSEMBLY Erik Gamborg Jensen, Moss, Norway Application October 2 1956 Serial No. 618,863 Claims priority, application Norwa November 1, 1955 2 Claims. ('Cl. 211-126) The present invention relates to a multi-tiered rack including a plurality of receptacles or trays spaced in series one above the other by groups of similar spring connecting members.

The invention aims at providing simple, cheap and easily operated connecting members for connecting trays together in tiers, to any suitable height, and reducing the number of connecting members of each group to a minimum, without reducing the required rigidity of the assembly.

Broadly in accordance with the invention, there is provided a tray assembly comprising a plurality of trays spaced in series one above the other, each of said trays having vertically inclined walls and at each corner an aperture extending from the base of the tray towards the rim thereof, a pair of frame-shaped Wire connecting members positioned in substantially upright position inside opposite walls of a lower tray and adapted to connect said tray to the next higher tray, each of said connecting members comprising a lower inclined portion formed to engage the apertures at the ends of the adjacent wall, means at the upper end of said lower portion to engage openings in said adjacent wall from the inside thereof and a straight upper portion the end of which is adapted, when stressed outwards, to engage outwardly opening hook-shaped securing means provided at the lower face of the base of the next higher tray.

In connection with a further feature of the invention each connecting member being in the form of a wire frame having a width adapted to the distance between opposite walls of a tray at the rim thereof, the side parts of the frame comprising lower engaging portions constituting obtuse angles to the upper portions of said parts and supporting shoulders formed at the connections of said upper and lower portions.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated as an example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an assembly of wire mesh baskets constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is an end view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the connector members shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but detached from the baskets.

In the drawing 1 denotes the wire-mesh baskets or trays which may be of standard filing type having a square mesh.

Each of said trays having an upper heavy wire rim 2 preferably with rounded corners, and downwardly converging side and end walls 4 and 5, respectively defining a correspondingly smaller base 6. Each of said walls is of a length corresponding to that of the adjacent side of the base leaving thereby at each corner of the tray an aperture 7 extending from the base and towards said rim 2.

At opposite sides of the tray 1, preferably at each end wall and adjacent each end thereof, a length of a wire 2,873,861 r Patented Feb. 17, 1 959 2 8 extending in the height direction of saidwall is secured thereto, such as by welding, having its lower portion bent inwards at 9 parallel with the lower face of the base 6, and then its free end is bent backwards to form a hook 10 opening outwardly as shown.

For spacing the trays in series one above the other use is made of groups of similar spring connecting members, each group containing a pair of said members.

The connecting members each comprise a wire hoop or frame, generally indicated at 11, having a mainly square shape preferably with rounded corners. The frame consisting of side parts 12 and parallel upper and lower cross parts 13 and 14, respectively, having a width slightly smaller than the distance between the opposite side walls 4 of the tray at the upper edges or rim thereof.

At a distance from the upper end of the frame substantially corresponding to the desired distance from one tray to the next higher tray the side parts 12 of the frame being bent or kinked relatively deeply at 15 and then inclined at 12' in opposite direction to the lower end. The side parts of the frame thus comprising lower engaging portions 12' constituting obtuse angles to the upper portions 12 with supporting shoulders 15 connecting said portions.

The length of the portions 12' is adapted to the height of tray wall so that when the frame is placed with its lower end resting on the base of the tray, the shoulders or kinks 15 may fit into the apertures 7 from the inside thereof as shown in the drawing.

In mounting trays one above the other a connecting member 11 is arranged in upright position at each end of a lower tray inside the end walls 5, and in this position the lower end of each member rests on the base 6 having its corner portions extending through the apertures 7 at the respective ends of the adjacent end wall 5, and its shoulders or kinks 15 projecting through said apertures in a direction at right angles to the adjacent end wall and in engagement with the wire rim 2 whereby theconnecting members are locked in position and prevented from displacement. In this position said members stand substantially upright having their upper portions slightly inclined inwards as indicated in broken lines at the left hand side in Fig. 1.

By bending the upper ends of the connecting members outwards the cross parts 13 thereof may be caused to engage the hooks 10 at the respective ends of the next higher tray, in which they are stressed when released thereby holding the trays firmly together.

I claim:

1. A tray assembly comprising a plurality of superposed trays, each of said trays having a base, two pairs of vertically outwardly inclined side walls opposite each other and a rim, each two adjacent ones of said side walls defining an aperture at each corner of the tray and extending from the base of the tray towards the rim, a pair of frame-shaped wire connecting members connecting each two of said trays, each consisting of two parallel legs and two parallel cross bars interconnecting the legs, one end portion of each leg being inclined and a shoulder means being provided at the end of the inclined end portion, and outwardly opening hook-shaped securing means mounted at the lower face of the base of each superposed tray, said wire connecting members being positioned in substantially upright position with the cross bar interconnecting the inclined end portions of the legs inside opposite ones of said side walls of a lower one of said trays, the inclined end portions engaging and protruding outwardly from the apertures at the ends'of said last-mentioned side walls with the shoulder means engaging the rim, and the other one of said cross bars engaging said hook-shaped securing means, the legs between said shoulder means and said hook-shaped securing means being outwardly stressed.

2. A tray assembly comprising a plurality of identical superposed trays, each tray comprising a rectangular base, a rectangular rim of larger circumference, downwardly converging side and end walls between the rim and the base, each of said walls being of the same length as an adjacent side of the base to define at each corner of the tray an aperture extending from the base to the rim between adjacent side and end walls, and hook-shaped securing means arranged at the lower side of the base adjacent the end walls and opening outwardly of said end walls; and a pair of frame-shaped wire connecting members connecting each two of said trays, each member consisting of two parallel legs and two parallel cross bars interconnecting the legs, one end portion of each leg being inclined and a shoulder means being provided at the end of the inclined end portion, said wire connecting members being positioned in substantially upright position with the cross bar interconnecting the inclined end portions of the legs inside the gend walls of a lower one of said trays, the inclined end portions engaging and protruding outwardly from the apertures at the ends of said end walls with the shoulder means engaging the rim, and the other one of said cross bars engaging said hookshaped securing means of a superposed one of said trays, the legs between said shoulder means and said hookshaped securing means being ontwardly stressed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,324 Norris Apr. 28, 1908 2,721,663 James Oct. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,077,566 France Nov. 9, 1954 

